Alexanders are among the first umbellifers to grace the verges and hedges of the Lizard in spring. The soft greeny-yellow of their umbels contrasts with the rich yellow of the gorse, proving that plants don't have to be rare to be beautiful.
Photo: Ray Surridge

Spotted at the end of last month, you may still be lucky and find the last blooms of this lovely, and relatively rare, member of the orchid family.
Photo: Steve Townsend

As the swallows prepare to leave in the early autumn, delicate blooms of Autumn Squill appear on The Lizard.
Photo: Amanda Scott

Similar at first glance to Wild Strawberry, the pretty Barren Strawberry can be found flowering earlier, from February through to May. 
Photo: Amanda Scott

Purple spikes of Betony put on a lovely display along coastal paths in the summer.
Photo: Amanda Scott

If you ever wondered how Bird’s-foot-trefoil got its name, you have to wait for the seedpods to appear in late summer.
Photo: Steve Townsend

Autumn is setting in, which means it’s almost berry season! You can look forward to Elder, Hawthorn, Holly, and the lovely but poisonous red berries of Black Bryony (pictured).
Photo: Dougy Wright

In the autumn, look out for the distinctive black seedpods that give Black Medick, a cousin to the clovers, its name.
Photo: Steve Townsend

Look out for the white flowers and bright yellow stamens of Black Nightshade on waste ground and nutrient-rich soils, still blooming in the milder weather.
Photo: Steve Townsend

They may be called 'the darling buds of May, but the Cornish climate means Blackthorn flowers, appearing in glorious masses in the hedgerows, are usually finished here well before May arrives. 
Photo: Steve Townsend